Now that Tom Brady has retired from the NFL a second time, Rob Gronkowski admits he’s interested in reuniting with his former quarterback.
Fox already has a tight end clinging to their lead broadcast booth in Greg Olsen, but if Brady wants a new running mate, Gronkowski is willing to listen. With Gronkowski already employed by Fox and Brady slated to join the network in 2024, the future Hall of Fame tight end said he’s interested in collaborating on a broadcast and addressed the prospect during an interview with The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.
“That’s definitely a possibility for sure, being with Tom for so long and now we’re going to be at Fox together,” Gronkowski said of joining Brady in the booth or working with him in a capacity that resembles the Manningcast. “There really hasn’t been any plans or anything or any talks about it, but that definitely could be a possibility. We could banter back and forth in some way, somehow, maybe do a couple promos together or whatever it is. That will be down the road. Time will have to tell with that.”
Earlier this week, Brady announced his $375 million contract to be a lead NFL analyst for Fox will begin in the fall of 2024. In the interim, Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen will continue to man the lead broadcast booth for Fox, which includes calling Super Bowl LVII this weekend. As if answering questions about Brady’s looming presence hasn’t already been exhausting enough, Olsen can now wonder if another former NFL tight end is interested in bumping him from the booth.
Olsen has received rave reviews in his first season as the lead NFL analyst for Fox, which will only put more pressure on Brady when he officially joins the network. Throughout Brady’s career in the spotlight, he’s done his best to avoid saying anything headline worthy or even that interesting when speaking into a mic. But according to Gronkowski, he believes we’ll see a different side of Brady as a broadcaster.
“I think he’ll definitely open up for sure coming to the booth, whenever he decides to step in and just let it rip,” Gronkowski said during Fox Sports Media Day. “I can see him doing that, just letting it rip and doing a great job.”
Fox will have to decide whether Brady will be doing that job alongside just Burkhardt, or if they’ll opt to go with a three-person booth to keep Olsen on the broadcast. Either way, it’s hard to imagine there’s room for Gronkowski.
